Die-separating means



Sept. 29, 1925.

, 1,555,494 R. L. WILCOX DIE SEPABATING M'EANs Filed Oct. 31. 1921 Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD LESTER WILCOX, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATER- IBURY FARR-EL FOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF WATERIBURY, CONNECTI- CUT, A CORIPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

DIE-SEPARATING MEANS.

Application filed October 31, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD LESTER WIL- oox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Die- Separating Means, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to die separating means, its principal object being to provide simple mechanism for separating the dies of an open die header or upsetting machine.

Among other aims and objects of my invention may be recited the provision of a device of the character mentioned with a view to compactness and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple, the cost of production small, and efficiency and operation'high.

The improvements in the details and arrangement of parts will be apparent from an inspection of the accompanying draw ings, in connection with the description hereinafter contained, and wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed for the purpose of imparting a full understanding of the same.

Having more particular reference to the drawings and in connection with which like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of dies of a heading machine or the like with a portion of the supporting mechanism therefor and my improved separating means connected therewith; I

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View thereof taken generally upon line 22 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof taken generally upon line 3-3 of Figure 2;

, Figure 1 is an elevation substantially the same as shown in Figure 2, except that some of the details are in a modified form;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the cam plate;

Figure 6 is a view of another form of cam plate;

Figure 7 is another alternative form of cam plate;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a group of rollers; and Figure 9 is a front View of a Serial No. 511,802.

pair of dies similar to those shown in Figure 1, with the separating means applied to the underside of the dies.

It has heretofore been the practice to separate the dies of an open die header or upsetting machine at the wire feed line by parting pins, separating pins or the like, an illustration of such means being shown in Letters Patent No. 1,10%,090, dated July 21, 1914:, particularly in Figure 4 thereof, and also in Letters Patent No. 1,108,958, dated September 1, 1914, a heavy flat spring, not shown in either of the above patents, bearing upon the upper end of each of the parting pins or separating pins, which move in a path at substantially a right angle to the movement of the dies. The first-named patent also illustrates one of the many means by which pressure is applied to the dies to move them laterally from the wire feed line to the up setting line and vice versa. With such mechanism the die cap or other part or parts that support the pins must be machined with great care and exactness and each must be in correct alignment with each other and the groove formed by the angular corner faces of the dies, when the dies are in proximity to the wire feed line. If the pins are not so arranged, the lower pointed end there of will not register with said groove, thus having a tendency to cramp the dies and apply an unequal pressure thereto at different points throughout their length. If this occurs, the dies may be separated more at one end than at the other, and if perchance the minimum separation is at the inner end of the dies a defective feed of the wire results and the end of'the wire may abut against the dies and stop the feed.

With the use of such pins the spring pressure upon the end thereof is constant, there fore it requires not only a pressure sufficient to move the dies and cut oil the wire but also to resist the pressure of the pin actuating springs, which pressure is constant upon the top of one of the dies during its entire movement. There is no use for this pressure except when the dies are to be separated at the wire feed line, hence more power is necessarily required to actuate the dies. While more powerful mechanism is required to move the dies from the wire feed line to the upsetting line,- the dies are usually returned by spring pressure, the strength of which must of necessity also be increased to overcome the needless drag and pressure of the pins.

As the pins are of substantial length the element in which they are mounted must of necessity be of substantial height to provide proper support therefor and this height, as well as the pin operating springs,

requires space that can otherwise tageously utilized. I

All of the above and other objections of the heretofore conventional method for separating the dies are obviated in my improved device, whichoccupies the minimum amount of not otherwise required space, pressure applied only when the dies are to be separated, the necessity of fine machining of the parts is entirely eliminated, and in these, and many other ways, produces results that are advantageous and insure certainty and efliciency in-operation, and with mechanism that is of comparatively simple design.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, numerals 10 and 11 represent the dies, which are of the usual form with carrier angular faces 12 which unite to form a V shaped-groove substantially'as shown in Figures 1 and 3, wherein the dies are near the wire feed line, this being coincident with the line 22 of Figure 1. A piece of wire designated 13 is shown in section at this feed line,

The bed plate upon which the dies are supported is designated 14, and the cap or cover over the top thereof 15. Upon opposite sides of the dies 10 and 11 are the usual filler plates 2 1 and 25 forming part of the pressure means for moving the dies laterally.

All of'the mechanismabove described is of a well known form and operates in an equally well known manner and therefore needs no furtherdescription herein.

The means for actuating the dies is not shown herein for the above reason, but the same travel between the wire feed line and the upsetting line, which latter line is designated wm in Figure 1. From the wire feed line to the upsetting line the dies are positively actuated by relatively powerful mechanism to cut off a piece of the wire red but are usually returned from the upsetting line by spring-mechanism.

As shown, the dies are held against outward endwise movement by the plates 16 and 17.

' Mounted within the above mentioned i shaped groove upon the upper side of the dies is a roller 18 which may be substantially' the length of the dies as shown in Figure 2 or may be a plurality of balls as shown in Figure 1 or a plurality of cylindrical bodies shorter than the length of the die and grouped together as shown in Figure 8 so as :to equal the length of the'dies, or not, asdesirecL- be advan- In the cover 15 is a cam plate 19, preferably dovetailed therein and having a cam face 20 thereon which inclines from the direction of the upsetting line toward the wire feed line. The use of this cam plate,"a's shown, is not necessary to the successful operation of the machine, nor the means for mounting the same in the cover, because the cam face may be formed upon the cover itself or mounted in any other convenient manner.

Endwis movement of the rollers 18 is prevented by any convenient means, one form of which is a plate 21 which is secured to the cover 15 by the plate 1'? and projects over the front end of the cam plate, if the form shown in Figure 5 is used, but not, if the form of cam plate shown in Figure 6 is used, the lip 22 upon its end performing this function.

In Figure 1 the rollers 18 are shown in contact with one of the faces 12 of each of the dies 10 and 11 and the cam face 20, at which time the dies are separated, the opening therebetween being uniform in width throughout the length of the dies. As the die 11 moves toward the upsetting line and until it contacts with the die 10, the rollers 18 travel therewith. As the cam face 20 is at an angle to the path of move ment of the dies, the rollers are freed therefrom during this movement. Thereafter the dies travel as a unit to the upsetting line and the rollers 18 rest in the V groove formed by the dies, and out of contact with the cam face 20. During the reverse movement the dies move again as a unit and as theyapproach the wire feed line, the rollers 18 are again brought into contact wit-lithe cam face 20 and are thus moved downwardly and separate the dies. The necessary pressure for moving the roller downwardly, as just described, is derived from the die 10 as it approaches in its movement thewire feed line; Thus the" movement of the rollers between the dies is initiated by one of the dies Thus my improved dies separating mechanism requires a minimum amount of space, pressure is only applied when re quired, that is, when the dies are at or near the wire feed line, and in these and other ways the objections to the mechanismshere tofore commonly utilized for separating the dies are eliminated and many obvious advantages secured. The pressure referred to being, of course, other than is applied to thedies by the weight of the rollers when the same are on the top of the dies.

In Figure 7 the cam'face 20 is shorter in width than the cam plate 19, a substaii tially straight portion 23 leading therefrom. \Vhen this form of cam plate is used,'it is so arranged that the cam face 20is inline with the wire feed line.

I have shown herein my improved mechanism'as applied to the top side of the dies but obviously it will operate equally as well if applied to the underside thereof, or if desired, it may be used upon both top and bottom. If used upon the bottom I prefer the form of cam shown in Figure 7. In this latter case the rollers 18 will ride upon the cam face 20 instead of in the V groove as when used upon the top thereof.

There are minor changes and alterations that can be made within my invention, aside from those herein suggested, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but claim all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, that are separated at a predetermined station, a member adjacent to said station; and means for separat ing the dies at such station, comprising an element that travels with the dies and when adjacent to said station contacts with said member and moves between the dies.

2. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, that are separated at a predetermined station; a member adjacent to said station; and means for separating the dies at such station, comprising an element that travels with the dies and when adjacent to said station engages said member, which deflects its path of movement into one that is substantially parallel with and between the meeting faces of the dies.

3. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, that are separated at a predetermined station; a member adjacent to said station; means for separating the dies at such station, comprising an element that travels with the dies and when adjacent to said station is moved between the dies by the said member, this movement being initiated by one of the dies.

I. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, that are separated at a predetermined station; a member adjacent to said station; means for separating the dies at such station, comprising an element that travels with the dies without exerting pressure thereon and when adjacent to said station is moved between the dies by said member.

In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like that are separated at a predetermined station; a member adjacent to said station; means for separating the dies at such station, comprising an element that travels with the dies within the recess formed by the angular corners thereof and when adjacent to said station is moved be tween the dies by said member.

6. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like that are separated at a predeterminedstation; a fixed member, and means for separating the dies at such station, comprising elements arranged in series that travel with the dies and when adjacent to said station are moved between the dies by the fixed member.

7. In combination with dies of a heading machine the like; of means for opening the same at a predetermined station, comprising an element that travels with the dies except when the same is in substantial register with said station means for imparting movementto said element at said station at an angle to its path of movement while traveling with the dies.

8. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like; of means for opening the same at a predetermined station conprising a cam and an element that moves with the dies and when adjacent to said station receives movement from said cam and separates the dies.

9. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, of means for opening the same at a predetermined station comprising a cam having a face at an angle to the dies, and an element that moves with the dies and when adjacent to said station receives movement from said cam and separates the dies.

10. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, of means for opening the same at a predetermined station comprising a cam and an element that moves with the dies and when adjacent to said sta tion receives movement from said cam and separates the dies, and means for nreventing cndwis e movement oi: said element.

11. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, of means for opening the same at a predetermined station comprising an element that moves with the dies and a fixed cam which imparts a right line movement to said element, when adjacent to said station.

12. In combination with dies of a heading machine or the like, of means for opening the. same at a predetermined station comprising a circular element that moves with the dies and a fixed cam which imparts movement to said element, when adjacent to said station.

13. Means for opening the dies of a head ing machine or the like, comprising one or more round members movable with the dies, and a member having a cam face fixed in relation thereto in the path of movement of said round members.

14. Means for opening the dies of a heading machine or the like, comprising one or more round members movable with the dies, and a member having a cam face fixed in relation thereto in the path of movement of said round members and means for pre venting endwise movement of said round n'rembers.

15. In combination with dies o1 a heading machine or the like that are separated at a predetermined station and moved toward said station in on direction by pressure applied to the dies; an element adjacent to said station; and means co-operating with said element for separating the dies at such station, the power for which is the same as thatused to move the dies toward said station and transmitted in part through said element. I

16. The combination with dies having cut-oil corners which form a groove'at the corners of the meeting faces thereof; that are moved toward and away from a predetermined station; a member adjacent to said station; and an element circular in cross section within said groove which by its engagement with said member is caused to apply pressure to said dies so as to force the same apart at said station.

17. The combination with dies of a heading machine or the like that are separated at a predetermined station and held against movement in one direction by a cap or cover; of means located below the top of said cap or cover for automatically separating said dies at said predetermined station.

18. The combination with dies of a heading machine or the like that are separated at a predetermined station and heldagainst movement in one direction by a cap or cover; of means, operative in a recess in the underside of said cap or cover, for automatically separating said dies at said predetermined station.

19. Means for opening the dies of a heading machine or the like, comprising one or more members movable with the dies; a member adjacent thereto having a cam face thereon in the path of movement of said members; and means adjacent to one end of said camface to prevent movement of said members laterally to said face.

20. The combination with dies of a heading machine orthe like that are separated at a predetermined station and held against movement in one direction by a cap or cover; means below the top of said cap or cover for automatically separating said dies at said predetermined station; and means connected with a fixed part to prevent endwise movement of said means in relation to said dies.

21. Means for opening the dies of a heading machine or the like, comprising one or more elements movable with the (lies; a member adjacent thereto having a cam face thereon in the path of movement of said elements, said member having a lip thereon to prevent movement of said members laterally to the cam face.

22. The combination with dies of a heading machine or the'like that'are separated at a predetermined stat-ion and held against movement in one direction by a cap or cover; means that in part travel with said dies for automatically separating the same at said predetermined station and held against movement laterally to the dies by a part connected with the cap or cover.

23. The combination with dies of a heading machine or the like; a tap or cover adjacent thereto; a recess in said cap or cover; a cam, having a lip thereon'within said recess; and means that travel with said dies and'in said recess for automatically separating said dies at said predetermined station.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

RICHARD LESTER WILCOX. 

